various vining climbers, Clitoria ternata...

Hi Julie --
Sorry for the delay in answering!  Hmm... the Clematis armandii is very
tempting, although I am trying to avoid ~sweet~ fragrances.  The others I
have elsewhere in the garden.  Perhaps I should have mentioned that I'm
looking for something a bit unusual?  For example, can anyone here comment
on the possible shade or drought tolerance of Clitoria ternata?  I haven't
seen it in real life, but I saw this picture on the web and couldn't get
that fantastic shade of purple out of my mind.

http://www.botany.hawaii.edu/faculty/carr/images/cli_ter.jpg

-- S.

At 12:37 PM 11/24/00 -0800, Julie wrote:
>How about evergreen climatis (Clematis armandii)?  Or star jasmine
>(Trachelospermum)?  Both are evergreen & have fragrant flowers.  The star
>jasmine might be marginally hardy for your zone.  Honeysuckle or grape are
>easy but not evergreen.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: susannah@cyber-dyne.com <susannah@cyber-dyne.com>
>To: medit-plants@ucdavis.edu <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
>Date: Friday, November 24, 2000 11:59 PM
>Subject: Care to recommend me a vine?
>
>
>Hello, all --
>
>I’m looking for a vine to cover a large storage box in my front yard.  If
>I’ve ever seen something that needed to be covered with vegetation, this is
>it!  I originally planned on a Passiflora, but I’m told they tend to spread
>by roots, which would be a problem in that area.  For temporary cover, I’ve
>tried nasturtiums and stalks of a nearby old climbing rose, but it’s a bit
>too shady for both of them.  Maybe an Akebia?  Any suggestions will be
>gratefully investigated.
>
>Here are the specs:
>
>Climate -- Western Oregon, USDA zone 8, Sunset zone 6, cool Mediterranean,
>a few summer days over 100F, winter lows regularly 20F, with 10F every five
>years or so.  (Our wet winters are hard on some Med plants, but this vine
>will be under the eaves of my house, which is moderately dry all winter, so
>that shouldn’t be a problem.)
>
>Size -- Stems need to be 10-12 feet (2-3 meters) to cover the box.  There
>won’t be room for it to get much bigger.
>
>Shade tolerance -- Lots of light, but very little direct sun.   Bright,
>essentially full shade when it’s young, then a few hours of sun on parts of
>it as it grows farther.
>
>Drought tolerance -- Very, but not extremely, drought tolerant. Shade will
>decrease transpiration (as recently discussed), and, once the vine is
>established, I’ll give it a deep soak every 3-4 weeks, but a nearby
>Liquidamber tree has dense surface roots which offer stiff competition for
>water.  Plants that can go two weeks in full sun between waterings (and
>tolerate shade) do well in this area.
>
>Flexibility -- The box opens like a clam shell, so the stems of the vine
>must flex a bit.  This shouldn’t be a problem as long as it’s not an
>especially brittle sort.
>
>Other desirable characteristics -- Evergreen!  Edible or decorative fruit;
>fragrance (preferably spicy or herbal rather than sweet).  Medium or large
>leaves, but not leathery ones -- commercial plantings around here tend
>heavily toward rhododendrons (Sorry, Loretta!) and what my mother calls
>‘Landlord Laurel’, and I’m they’re tiresome.
>
>Thanks for any and all suggestions, and, for those readers in the U.S., a
>happy holiday weekend with friends and family.
>
>
>
>-- Susannah
>
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